i'm still recovering from our trip to new jersey last weekend. we drove. the 10 hour trip to new jersey turned into a 20 hour one because we decided to be smart and crash in a hotel instead of trying to drive through the night. the 10 hour trip home was really 11.5, thanks to angels and demons on audio book. i swear if i had to, i could drive across the country listening to that book. the suspense just does not stop! it feels like i'm at the end of the book, but there are still 2.5 hours left. these days, i don't mind traffic much. :)

we stayed with one of eric's cousins in new jersey. (thanks for housing us, nini!) she has three boys. his other cousin jeremy also stayed with us. he has two boys. all in all there were 8 boys 8 and under! i thought it would be so incredibly crazy, but it wasn't. the older boys kind of took care of the younger boys, and they all loved being around each other. besides, i think all of us parents have given into the madness and have accepted that boys will be boys. they will punch and kick and be loud and run around and fall off of stuff and wrestle. it's so different from the last time we were in jersey. there were only 5 boys at the time and isaiah was just 10 weeks old. eric and i were such different parents then. jumping up whenever the baby cried, worrying about all these little things. ahhh...the days of just one child. life was so simple then. oh, but the joys and love of having two more boys will never outweigh that simplicity.

8 boys 8 and under + emily and jd!

congratulations to omar and marilou! thanks for getting us out to new jersey. wishing you a lifetime of happiness!